Razvan opened his eyes slowly, grimacing with the sunlight waking him up. As he rose up to a seated position, he took a look around the clearing the group had set up camp in after they made it to shore. Corita and Kennick were still asleep on their bedrolls, and after everything they went through yesterday, he didn't blame either of them for wanting to sleep in. He decided it would be best not to mention to them that he fell asleep during his watch and silently stood up, careful not to alert his companions so that they could get a little more rest in.

After the trio had made it to shore, Kennick looked for a clearing that they could spend the night at as well as keep an eye on the island Thistletop was on. Corita made use of her bardic magic to dry off their clothes, armor, and supplies while they kept an eye on the island. There were a band of goblins riding on their monstrous doglike mounts but no sign of Draul and Mariel. When the sun started to set, the group decided to sleep in the clearing and come up with a plan to deal with the goblins at Thistletop in the morning.

The good news was that Razvan felt a lot better after sleeping and didn't feel any pain from the fall he suffered with the others. If Corita and Kennick had physically recovered as well, the group would be in good shape for whatever plan they decided on. Unfortunately, Razvan wasn't sure what else the trio could do. The goblins outnumbered the adventurers even more now that Draul and Mariel weren't around, and the last time the group checked, the goblins were struggling to get the bridge back up with a few goblins falling to their deaths in the sea. He hated to accept it but going back for Draul and Mariel may be impossible, let alone trying to stop whatever was happening within Thistletop.

Razvan considered what the best thing they could do moving on from yesterday. He didn't think that another attack on Thisletop would work in their favor and that all they could do now was return to Sandpoint and warn everyone. It was possible that they could mount a defense against the goblins especially considering that Sheriff Hemlock had brought reinforcements from Magnimar. Not knowing what Malfeshnekor was worried Razvan but he would prefer to face his enemy with the guards and militia of Sandpoint than on his own.

With a sigh, Razvan shook his head, knowing that Corita and Kennick would never approve of leaving Draul and Mariel behind. Truth be told, he didn't like leaving behind his friends but didn't think it was possible to save them. For all he knew, they had been killed by the goblins within Thistletop and that going back for them would turn into a corpse retrieval. Razvan took out his waterskin and took a sip from the water when he walked over to the edge of the clearing, taking a glance in the direction of the island through the trees.

Razvan gasped in shock and dropped his waterskin to the ground. He looked over his shoulder at his sleeping companions.

"Wake up!' Razvan called out.

Corita groaned. "Five more minutes…"

"This is serious!" Razvan told Corita firmly, catching a glimpse of Kennick rousing from his sleep. "Come and see for yourself!"

Corita started to get up from the ground along with Kennick, who yawned loudly. The two stepped up to join Razvan to see what he had spotted. They both looked in shock as they could see the rope bridge connecting Thistletop to the mainland had been put back up. The goblins must have worked over the night, and although Razvan couldn't imagine how they pulled it off, he realized that it must have been dangerous work for the goblins. He chuckled quietly, realizing that they had a chance to make a difference against the goblins.

"This is great," Corita finally said. "We can do… Well, we can do something!"

"Do you think that Draul and Mariel made it out?" Kennick asked, his tone hopeful.

Razvan thought over the question before shaking his head. "I don't think so. If I was in charge of the goblins and I knew that my enemy was hiding on an island, I wouldn't fix the bridge until they were dealt with."

"They can't be dead," Corita sighed. "They have to be alive."

"Maybe they surrendered to the goblins," Razvan said, although he wasn't so confident of his answer. "It might be possible."

"We can't go back to Sandpoint now," Kennick told the others. "We have to go back to Thistletop."

"Right," Corita nodded with a smile. "We're not done yet. Let's show the goblins that Sandpoint still has heroes to fight them!"

"I guess I'd be wasting my breath trying to convince you both that we shouldn't go to Thistletop," Razvan said, and after a pause, chuckled. "I don't like our odds but if we're smart we might be able to make a difference."

"Do you have a plan in mind?" Corita asked.

"Maybe," Razvan took a few seconds to think over what to do. "Our first priority should be to find Draul and Mariel. If they're alive, we see if they can help us. If not, we'll have to decide if we're capable enough of fighting Nualia and her allies or if we should return to Sandpoint."

"That sounds like the best plan," Corita said. "Let's pack up and get to it."

The adventurers packed up their bedrolls, and with Kennick identifying a bush of healthy berries that they could eat for breakfast, they made their way back toward Thistletop. Razvan wasn't sure what they could do even with the bridge repaired but he liked their odds. He tossed a handful of juicy berries into his mouth as he thought of what obstacles they had between them and their missing friends. There were still plenty of goblins waiting in the maze of thorns along with whatever defenders the island had to spare. Razvan thought that before they crossed the bridge, they would need to deal with the goblins that lived in the maze so that they couldn't attack the adventurers from behind.

When the trio made it to the entrance of the maze, they were surprised to see the hidden entrance was open. They had yet to cross through the treeline by the maze and Razvan motioned for the others to crouch down so they wouldn't be seen. Razvan quietly took out his daggers, realizing that something wasn't right, and Kennick shifted into his coldborn form, ready for battle. It didn't make sense for the goblins to leave their front door open and unguarded when they had just been attacked the day before. Razvan thought that it was a trap and looked around the wall of briars for anything that seemed off.

"Longshanks, I would like to talk."

The adventurers jumped up in place and looked up at the trees. Standing on a branch above them was a goblin. Razvan cursed, recognizing that this wasn't any goblin but the druid that they fought. Corita took out her sword and took up a defensive stance while Kennick glared at the goblin, who remained out of his reach. Razvan contemplated throwing one of his daggers at the druid when he thought more about what the goblin told them. The druid could have ambushed them, and given his magic, he might have been able to win against them. Yet he purposely gave up his element of surprise, and based on his expression, he didn't seem like he was looking to fight.

Slowly, Razvan lowered his daggers. "Alright. Let's talk."

"He's a goblin, Razvan," Kennick said with a growl.

"I know that. Let's hear him out."

"I'm with Razvan on this," Corita said, glancing towards Kennick. "The less we have to fight, the more ready we'll be to rescue Draul and Mariel."

"Let's start with that," Razvan said. "Are our friends still alive?"

"I do not know if the longshanks that fought with you are still alive," the goblin druid admitted. "I know that they killed Warchief Ripnugget, and now Bruthazmus has taken control of the tribes."

"The bugbear is here then," Kennick said with a scowl.

"Bruthazmus may be a legend among the tribes but he cares little for our lives," the goblin druid explained. "He insisted that the bridge be repaired as quickly as it could. Several of my people died to see it done all the while Bruthazmus lounges around with Ripnugget's wives without a care for the goblins that died."

"You don't care for Bruthazmus, do you?" Razvan asked. "Who are you?"

"Gogmurt is my name, longshanks. I was Ripnugget's advisor until Bruthazmus and the longshanks with him arrived. He ignored my warnings not to trust them and became infatuated with one of the longshanks in particular, a very angry woman with white hair, weird eyes, and a torn up stomach."

"That must be Nualia," Razvan said. "We have a common enemy, Gogmurt. Maybe we can come to an agreement."

To show that he was honest, Razvan crouched down, set his daggers down to the ground, and stood back up. Corita nodded and followed in his example, dropping her sword. Kennick crossed his arms but remained in his coldborn form. It was the best Razvan could ask for from Kennick and hoped that he would keep his rage in check so that they could negotiate. Gogmurt looked over the group in an assessing manner. Finally, he climbed down the tree, giving up the high ground so that he could speak with the adventurers on equal footing. Razvan wasn't sure if Gogmurt would keep his end of the deal but he was glad for a chance to talk rather than fight.

"You deal with the longshanks in charge and we won't attack your town again," Gogmurt told the adventurers. "You can't kill any goblins in Thistletop, only the longshanks."

"We can deal with Nualia but it's best for you to get any goblins loyal to you out of Thistletop first," Razvan said. "You'll also need to tell us what you can about the allies she has."

"Bruthazmus won't allow for the goblins in Thistletop to leave," Gogmurt said with a frown. "You'll have to kill him first then I can clear Thistletop but don't get any ideas. You leave Thistletop after you're done."

"I don't think any of us are interested in taking over Thistletop," Razvan chuckled. "We've got a deal."

"Do we?" Corita asked, confused. "Why don't you and the other goblins help us?"

"Too dangerous," Gogmurt said, snarling. "Longshanks deal with longshanks."

"And while we're killing each other, you goblins get to do nothing and can attack whoever survives," Kennick said, glaring at Gogmurt.

Razvan looked back at his friends and shook his head. "Let's take the deal as is. I'd rather have to deal with Nualia and her group. If we can avoid fighting an army of goblins, I say we take it."

"I guess you have a point," Corita said, sighing. "It's going to be really difficult unless we can find Draul and Mariel."

Kennick grunted. "Gogmurt, if you back on your word and attack Sandpoint, or try to stab us in the back, you will regret it."

Gogmurt nodded. "I don't care for you longshanks but I knew that attacking your town would lead to problems. If only Ripnugget had listened to me…"

With a sigh, Gogmurt led the way into the maze through the entrance. Razvan and Corita picked up their weapons and sheathed them before following after the druid. Razvan made sure to keep himself between Gogmurt and Kennick to try to stop any violence from breaking out. They had to crouch down to follow the goblin, and while he was worried for a potential attack, the few goblins they saw, while curious, didn't attack with Gogmurt's presence. They made it through the other side of the maze and could stand up tall, but before they could cross the bridge, they would need to come up with a plan.

"What can you tell us about the 'longshanks' we're dealing with," Razvan asked Gogmurt.

"Not much," Gogmurt grunted. "There's a quiet longshank that wears metal armor, a longshank in robes that uses fire to scorch goblins that gets close to her, and a longshank that likes to play the flute."

"Tsuto used to play the flute when we were young," Kennick noted, keeping his distance from the goblins.

"It sounds like we're dealing with a warrior and a spellcaster," Corita said. "There's three of us and five of them. How many are on the upper floor?"

"Just Bruthazmus but the goblins he keeps at the fort will fight you," Gogmurt told the adventurers. "Remember that you said you wouldn't kill any goblins."

"We remember," Razvan assured Gogmurt. "Kennick, you've heard about Bruthazmus before, right?"

"Shalelu told us about him," Kennick said. "She fought him several times without either of them killing the other. She warned us that if we saw him to run."

"I'm not running if there's a chance that we can save Draul and Mariel," Corita said, determined. "You're not going to run, right?"

Kennick shook his head. "I won't but I don't see how we can best Bruthazmus if Shalelu couldn't kill him."

"She is likely more experienced than we are," Razvan nodded in agreement. "Let's think this through. What resources do we have?"

"Our weapons," Kennick answered.

"Not enough," Razvan frowned. "Corita, you know magic, don't you? What kind of spells do you have to work with?"

"Let's see," Corita started to list off what spells she could cast, pointing a finger with each spell. "I can heal, charm others, create illusions, have people break out into laughter, light up-"

"Hold up," Razvan raised a hand to interrupt Corita. "You can create illusions."

Corita nodded with a grin. "That's right. I know they're not too useful for combat but they're so cool to create."

"That they are," Razvan said, grinning. "I have a plan to get to Bruthazmus without any goblins getting in our way."

"That isn't how she looks. Her hair is a lighter shade of blonde and isn't that long."

"Cut me a break, Kennick. I only met her once."

"I'm starting to regret this plan already," Razvan sighed. "Why couldn't we just put a hood over her so that we don't have to worry about how exactly she looks."

"So that the goblins can recognize her," Corita shot back, her eyes closed as she concentrated on her spell.

"Couldn't we go with a hood and have her call out to Bruthazmus?" Razvan asked.

"About that but I can't exactly make sounds with illusions," Corita admitted with an awkward laugh.

"That would have been useful to know before we started," Razvan sighed again. "I'm really starting to regret this plan."

"It was your idea," Kennick reminded Razvan.

The trio crouched down by a bush near the edge of the cliff overlooking the gulf. Razvan looked at the bridge and the illusion of Shalelu that stood on the bridge with her bow out. If everything went according to plan, Corita's illusion of Shalelu would draw Bruthazmus out of Thistletop to confront his mortal enemy. Once the bugbear makes it onto the bridge, they would ambush and kill him before he could escape. Afterwards, Gogmurt would order the goblins in Thistletop to leave and leave the adventurers to their work.

The plan was good in theory but even the best of plans couldn't be perfect. They had only met Shalelu once and Corita had to rely on what she could remember along with what Kennick told her for the illusion. Razvan also thought Corita could make the illusion of Shalelu speak and had only just learned that it was a visual illusion only. There was very little else they could do to improve on the plan. A band of goblins riding their goblin dogs spotted the illusion and ran inside of the stockade. It was one thing to fool a goblin but it was only a matter of time to see if the illusion held up when Bruthazmus spotted it.

Razvan never saw a bugbear before, but when a bulky and furry creature emerged from Thistletop accompanied by a dozen goblins, he could see how they got their reputation. Bruthazmus took out a flail and approached the edge of the bridge, eyeing the illusion. Corita had created the illusion in the middle of the bridge and Razvan hoped that the distance would have been enough to trick Bruthazmus.

"You have some nerve coming here," Bruthazmus called out, his voice booming to the other side of the bridge. "I look forward to adding your ears to my collection."

Although Corita couldn't have her illusion of Shalelu speak, she moved her hand to change the illusion. "Shalelu" nocked an arrow on her bow and took aim at Bruthazmus. The bugbear growled, and without little care for the archer's threat, charged forward across the bridge. Razvan patted Kennick on the back and the coldborn stood up to charge across the bridge as well. With the way Corita set up the illusion, Kennick would be hidden and able to land a surprise attack on Bruthazmus. Razvan stood up and took his position by the end of the bridge, hoping that the ambush would be enough.

Bruthazmus' flail went through Shalelu, dispelling the illusion. The bugbear blinked in surprise, unable to process the ambush in time to protect himself from the ambush he found himself in. Kennick, having closed the distance between him and Bruthazmus, pounced at him. Kennick's teeth bit harshly into Bruthazmus and the bugbear yelled out loudly in pain. Bruthazmus pushed Kennick back but had to hold his bleeding neck with one hand. Kennick spat blood into the water below and Razvan took out his dagger.

"If you try to run, I will cut the rope and you will die!" Razvan warned Bruthazmus, holding his dagger to one of the ropes holding up the bridge. "The only way you'll escape with your life is if you kill all three of us!"

"But that'll kill your friend!" Bruthazmus shouted back, swinging his flail with one hand in a futile attempt to keep Kennick away.

"He knew what he was getting himself into!" Razvan shot back.

Corita stood by Razvan's side, holding her sword to the other rope that kept the bridge up. The one obvious flaw with Razvan's plan was that there was nothing stopping Bruthazmus from fleeing on the side of the bridge the adventurers couldn't get to. Kennick had offered the idea that they threaten to destroy the bridge if Bruthazmus tried to flee from the ambush. Razvan thought that the threat made a good enough bluff but didn't think he could follow through with the threat. He wouldn't sacrifice one of his friends to kill Bruthazmus and it would be nearly impossible to get to the stockade if the bridge was destroyed again.

Bruthamuz took a few hesitant steps away to get distance between himself and Kennick but it was clear that he knew he wouldn't be able to run. He kept swinging his flail, trying to keep Kennick away from him while being unable to land a hit on him. Bruthazmus kept one hand on his bleeding neck and couldn't wield his flail properly. Razvan figured that Kennick's surprise bite attack tore into Bruthazmus badly and may have struck an artery.

Kennick was cautious when it came to fighting Bruthazmus, careful to stay clear of the bugbear's wild swings. It was only when an opening presented itself that he pounced at his foe. His claws swatted Bruthazmus' arm aside and the bugbear yelped in pain from the force of the blow. Kennick's other claw slammed down across Bruthazmus' chest, sending him crashing down to the ground. Kennick fell down onto Bruthazmus, tearing into him with tooth and claw alike. Razvan turned away from the carnage along with Corita, hearing the bugbear's painful screams go silent.

"We did it," Corita said, slowly grinning. "We killed Bruthazmus!"

"That we did," Razvan chuckled, unable to believe their luck. "One down, four to go. Gogmurt, you're up!"

Razvan and Kennick turned back to the bridge to see Kennick stand up, covered in the blood of the slain bugbear. The goblins by the stockade were in a panic until Gogmurt called out to them, speaking in their native tongue. Razvan wasn't familiar with the goblins' language but saw that the crowd on the other side of the bridge lowered their weapons. Gogmurt walked across the bridge, and while Kennick glared down at the druid, he made no attempt to go back on their deal and walked over to rejoin Razvan and Corita.

They would need to wait a few minutes for Gogmurt to clear Thistletop of the fallen goblins, but once the druid had emptied the stockade, they would be able to explore Thistletop with only a few threats remaining. If they could find Draul and Mariel, they might be able to succeed in stopping Nualia. Razvan couldn't believe their luck so far and felt that they had a good chance to finish the fight once and for all.

A/N: Not much to say here, honestly, other than we're getting close to the end of Burnt Offerings.

Until next time.